Fairfield County Lawmakers Get Failing Green Grade

This is the second in a two-part series on environmental voting records of state legislators in Fairfield County, as rated by a state watchdog group. This story focuses on three local lawmakers with failing grades.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. – Two Greenwich lawmakers received grades among the worst in the state legislature in 2011 for their environmental voting records, and a powerful House leader from Norwalk got a failing mark by the same watchdog group that issues annual green scorecards.

State Sen. L. Scott Frantz received a grade of 40 on an annual environmental scorecard issued by the bipartisan Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, which ranked all 187 state legislators.

“This is one of the most misrepresentative rating systems I have ever seen,” said Frantz, a Republican who represents Greenwich, Stamford and New Canaan. “I have appreciated the environment my entire life, and as a legislator have supported just about everything that has an impact on conservation and the environment.”

The grades are based on how legislators voted on 12 key environmental and conservation bills, the league said in its annual scorecard report.

State Rep. Fred Camillo, R-Greenwich, a member of the legislature's environment committee, got a 38. House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, also received a failing grade of 60.

The three GOP legislators say the scoring system is unfair and does not represent their true records.

“The rating system focuses on special interests,” Frantz said.

He said, for example, he voted against the “Vulnerable Users” bill designed to protect skateboarders, bikers and joggers from collisions with autos, which penalizes drivers even when not at fault.  

“I don’t see how that bill has anything to do with the environment,” he said. Nor did Frantz understand why his grade was lowered because of a vote for a bill that would have allowed all-terrain vehicles on “some separate parts of public open space land.”

“I voted against the (watchdog) group’s positions, and it got me a low grade,” Frantz said.

Camillo agreed. “The modern day legislative phenomenon of special interest group scorecards can be both misleading and counter to what these groups publicly stand for,” Camillo said in a statement.

“My score was 38. If someone was to look at that, with no other available information, they would think I was out there trying my best to deforest the countryside and pollute the water,” he said.

Cafero said his while his grade of 60 is unfair based on his overall environmental record, he “will not be intimidated by special interest groups” just to get a higher scorecard rating.

“Moderation is perfect, and if I am rated at 60 percent, I call that balance and common sense,” Cafero said.

But he also objected to the group’s rating system. “Under the broad subject of the environment, they pick 12 bills. But they don’t look at anything outside the narrow scope of issues on their hit list of bills important to them,” he said.

According to the report, however, “Connecticut lawmakers got caught up in the effort to weaken environmental protections that swept the nation in 2011 in an effort to stimulate the economy.

“Legislators’ collective environmental voting records dropped in 2011,” the report states. A total of 34 lawmakers received failing grades — more than in 2008, 2009 and 2010 combined. 

“This trend shows all the more reason why the league’s voice is important at the Legislature to help preserve Connecticut’s natural resources,” said league Executive Director Lori Brown.

The full scorecard can be downloaded at www.ctlcv.org/scorecard.html. 

Click here to follow Daily Voice Westport and receive free news updates.